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Friday, December 30, 2011

Pinspiring Me to Preserve: Baby's Clothes

This project has been a long time coming. Back in the summer of 2009, my sister Allison (of the amazing FabRehab Creations) asked me if I could do anything with a few personalized Onesies/t-shirts that her middle son had grown out of. I was so flattered that she thought highly enough of my sewing skills to trust me with transforming her cherished pieces into a keepsake for my nephew! I gladly accepted the challenge.

And then I didn't do anything about it.

FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

I think I was waiting for Pinterest to be invented so I could find inspiration on what I could do with these three pieces, which were all very different in style (sporty, whimsical, preppy). Again, thank heavens for Pinterest! I had heard of T-shirt quilts before, but I was pretty sure that 3 baby shirts would look a little dwarfed on a quilt. But then it dawned on me: it didn't have to be a quilt! It could be a pillow!

I still took inspiration from Pinterest:

﻿

Such a sweet way to preserve those precious garments!

Of course I completely forgot to take a "before" shot of the onesies/t-shirts still intact. This is what you get:

My first task was to cut the patches to be close in size. Clearly, each shirt design had different dimensions. As I learned from my stocking project, it pays to measure and re-measure, rinse and repeat, to make sure I am on track. Voila! I made three patches that were all very very close in size!

Next I had to determine how to lay these bad boys out. Again, all different style, and an odd number to boot (I have issues with symmetry). I knew that my nephew is now in a "big boy bed" which is twin size. To minimize any awkward negative space, I decided on a long, narrow pillow, with the white background design in the middle. Things started to come together.

Notice the strips of fabric between the patches? Symmetry. It's a problem.

Once the pillowcase was assembled, it was smooth sailing. I am rather thrilled with the final product!

And I was thrilled to recieve a photo of the happy little dude after he opened it on Christmas Day!